Leiden University researchers tackle global challenges with Una Europa-Africa grants
Three international research projects involving Leiden University researchers will receive funding from the Una Europa university alliance. The projects address global challenges related to air quality inequity, undocumented languages and population growth.
The Una Europa-Africa Partnership seed funding grants of up to €36.000 support intercontinental research partnerships between Una Europa partners and African universities. Leiden University joined the Una Europa alliance in 2023.
The international characteristic of these grants aligns with Leiden University's ambitions, as outlined in the 2022-27 Strategic Plan, to increase partnerships in and with Africa. The projects are also an example of the opportunities available to Leiden University students and staff through Una Europa.
The projects involving Leiden University participants are:
Enhancing Linguistic Scholarship in Eastern Africa (ELSEA)
Language description is vital: it informs school materials and books, enhances understanding of cultural heritage and history, and informs our insight into language structures. Despite its importance, only around half of the world's approximately 7,000 spoken languages have been properly described and a third are endangered. Local experts often lack the necessary training to tackle the vast task of language description. The ELSEA project aims to overcome this gap by training early-career linguists in East Africa.
Leiden University coordinator: Jenneke van der Wal, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL), Faculty of Humanities
Meeting the peak (PEAKSOLVE)
The world population is expected to peak at approximately 10.5 billion within the next 50 years. Most of this growth will occur in Africa, while populations in many developed nations are decreasing. PEAKSOLVE will consider how to respond to this global challenge and related challenges, such as access to safe drinking water. The project will equip early-career researchers with cross-disciplinary skills to solve challenges relating to emerging contaminants, quality of freshwater systems, sanitation, water supply and governance.
Leiden University participant: Martina Vijver, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science.
Respiratory Health, Outdoor Air Pollution and Solid Waste Management: A Built Environment Perspective (RESPIRA_ABEP)
This project will investigate the impact of solid waste burning on air pollution and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). Focusing on two dump sites in Kenya, RESPIRA_ABEP aims to reduce air quality inequity and improve CRD care. It will do this by involving communities in devising waste management strategies for more sustainable urban planning. The project will also partner with local stakeholders.
Leiden University participant: Marleen Dekker, African Studies Centre Leiden
Other participants
For each project, other partners are also involved:
ELSEA - African university chairholder: Saudah Namyalo, Makerere Universities. Other participating universities: Helsingin yliopisto/Helsingfors universitet, University of Edinburgh
PEAKSOLVE - African university chairholder: Craig Sheridan, University of the Witwatersrand. Other participating universities: University of Edinburgh (project coordinator: Margaret Graham), Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie.
RESPIRA_ABEP - African university chairholder: Margaret Ngima Machiara Kedogo, University of Nairobi. Other participating universities: KU Leuven (project coordinator: Pieter Van den Broeck), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Université de Kinshasa.